Canal Guide - Peak Forest & Ashton Canal: Canal Boat Hire, Macclesfield Canal, Canal Boats, Canal and River Trust, Whaley Bridge Canal Guide The Peak Forest and Ashton Canals between Central Manchester, Marple and Whaley Bridge Cheshire Researched and written by Jeannette Briggs The history of the Ashton and Peak Forest Canals is unusual. Together they form part of what is known in canal boat circles as The Cheshire Ring, and they connect to the Macclesfield Canal at Marple Cheshire and the Bridgewater Canal in Manchester, and also the Trent and Mersey Canal. This enables intrepid canal boat holiday makers to complete a full circle of canals through some fascinating and varied countryside, and some fairly challenging urban settings as well. The Ashton Canal was built in 1792 to connect the textile producing town of Ashton under Lyme to Manchester. It was very prosperous until the beginning of the railway age in 1830, but was threatened by the onset of competition from the railways. Despite this, it managed to make a profit for many years, but by the 1900's trade had dwindled.

The canal was all but abandoned in 1962, because it was derelict and unnavigable. The Peak Forest Canal connects to the Ashton canal at Ashton under Lyme and was built at the height of the "canal mania" period, primarily to enable limestone from Whaley Bridge in Cheshire to be transported down towards the Manchester region, and for coal to be brought up to the Whaley Bridge area from the coalfields around Manchester, not for canal boat holidays. They were not invented yet! By 1840 the Peak Forest canal was suffering badly from competition with the newer Trent and Mersey Canal, and of course from the railways. Once again, as with the Ashton Canal, this canal was allowed to fall into disrepair, although it was not as in as bad a state as the Ashton. However, the Peak Forest Canal Society and the Inland Waterways Association launched campaigns pressing for restoration, and full navigation along the canal was finally completed by 1974. Today it is a very popular short route, with lots of interest, beautiful scenery, and hard work with many locks, making it a challenge for those with a canal boat or taking a canal boat holiday.

Above: The Peak Forest Canal at Marple Cheshire - photo by Peter Fuller and reproduced by kind permission Above: Whaley Bridge - the Upper Peak Forest Canal starts here. Photo by Dave Dunford and reproduced by kind permission The canal starts at Whaley Bridge, and the first section is known as the "Upper Peak Forest Canal". It is carved out of the sides of a mountain which overlooks the valley of the River Goyt, and the first section of the canal is lock-free. It is also very shallow and - like the Llangollen Canal - you should take it slowly and gently especially around bends, to avoid meeting another canal boat head on! The canal leaves Whaley Bridge and travels in a north westerly direction through outstanding countryside, with magnificent views of the mountains all around. The canal is higher than the railway in the valley, and passes villages and towns like Buxworth (where the limestone quarries were located - the original reason for the building of this stretch of the canal ). After Buxworth you navigate through Furness Vale, New Mills and Disley. There is a marina at Furness Vale with most facilities, and a small wharf at New Mills with overnight moorings, water, pump out, etc.

Buxworth has a great pub, The Navigation, which over looks the old canal basin, and another pub, the Beehive, is at New Mills by Bridge 28. Disley has shops and is quite a pretty little place, but it also has lots of traffic noise from the A6. Above: The Peak Forest Canal at Furness - photo by Dave Beavis and reproduced by kind permission Above: The Peak Forest Canal Buxworth arm - photo by Dave Dunsford and reproduced by kind permission. Leaving Disley it is not long before you come across the approach to Marple, which marks the junction with the Macclesfield Canal. The canal is very shallow at this point and canal boaters are advised to be very careful. Marple has some excellent pubs, as you might expect, such as the Ring o'Bells and The Navigation, by lock 13 of the flight. At Marple, just after the junction, you now reach a famous flight of locks called the Marple Flight. There are 16 of them in all, and they will require a great deal of effort and hard work for all taking a canal boat holiday or journey. They drop the Peak Forest Canal down 215 feet towards Manchester.

They are in a superb setting with hills and mountains, woodland and the River Goyt far below you. You should be aware that there are no safe moorings within the flight of locks, and that you should leave plenty of time to get to either the bottom of the flight - or of course, the top of the flight - before darkness falls!!! Above: The junction of the Peak Forest and Macclesfield Canals at Marple - photo by Stephen Burton and reproduced by kind permission Above: The flight of locks at Marple - photo by Phil Eptlett and reproduced by kind permission When you finally reach the bottom of the Marple flight you will see the magnificent Marple Aqueduct, a huge arched structure which carries the canal 100' over the valley of the Goyt. It was designed by Ben Outram, and is of architectural interest in that he used circular pierced "shoulders" above the arches ( to lessen the load borne by the stone arches) and different coloured stones to highlight the architectural design of the parapets and ledges.

Above: The aqueduct over the River Goyt - photo by Martin Clark and reproduced by kind permission Once you have travelled over the Marple Aqueduct you reach a short tunnel at Hyde Bank Tunnel, and then you pass Romily, Bredbury and Woodley, all of which have basic supplies like bread and milk. You will also see the great conurbation of Greater Manchester, and the magnificent scenery that has surrounded you all this time will give way to houses and factories. Once at Hyde the canal crosses some industrial wasteland, before you reach Dukinfield Junction, where there is the Portland Basin Heritage Centre, worth a visit. Dukinfield Junction is in Ashton under Lyne, which was a little village before the explosion of the cotton weaving industry resulted in a huge increase in the population. At this junction a very short section of the newly restored Huddersfield Narrow Canal is visible - it is only a short length, but it is the start of a major regeneration project which should see the canal route over the Pennines to Huddersfield fully restored and open once more. After Dukinfield Junction the Peak Forest Canal "becomes" the Ashton Canal which branches off west through Manchester.

You will need a special British Waterways anti vandal key to lock and unlock the paddle gears on each of the locks you pass through. Along the whole of its length the Ashton canal goes through densely built up areas. The canal is actually an oasis of green and quiet in all this mass of urban housing estates and factories, and is well used by the locals for leisure activities. Railways run along this length of canal, and beyond Droylsden there are lots of locks for you to work on again - the first series of locks since you left the Marple Flight. Sadly you should not leave your canal boat unattended in the area. You should also be aware that people still throw rubbish and litter into the canal, and things can get entwined around your propeller. However, this is just one of the less enjoyable aspects of canal boat hire or owning your own narrowboat! Above: The junction with the Ashton Canal at Portland Basin Dukinfield - photo by Nigel Homer and reproduced by kind permission Above: The canal at Droylesden - photo by Keith Williamson and reproduced by kind permission You descend steadily down through the locks towards the junction with the remnants of the Rochdale canal.

Progress might be a bit slow because of the need to lock and unlock the paddle gear at each set of locks with your anti-vandal key. At Paradise Wharf and Piccadilly village in the centre of Manchester the whole area has been redeveloped, rather like Brindley Place in Birmingham, and "gentrification" of the areas surrounding the canal is beginning to take place at last, as people realise the huge environmental asset they have right on their doorstep. You will see the point where the Rochdale Canal leaves the Ashton - once again the route for those in a canal boat links Manchester with the Yorkshire woollen towns. It is a route for those taking a canal boat holiday across the Pennines via Todmorden and Hebden Bridge to Huddersfield. The final section of the Rochdale canal joins up with the Ashton Canal to form the link with the Bridgewater Canal ( click here for separate section ) at Ducie Street and Jutland Street Bridges, and then on west towards Waters Meeting(See section on the Bridgewater Canal ). Again you should be careful not to leave your canal boat unattended during the day, or stay overnight along this stretch.

I hope this brief introduction to the Peak Forest and Ashton canals will inspire people to try the Cheshire Ring of canals for themselves. Canal boating friends of mine who completed this ring say that it was exhilarating and challenging - certainly worth all the effort expended. The Cheshire Ring and these canals provide a different dimension to the usual sort of canal boat holiday and cruising. Enjoy! Macclesfield Canal, holiday cruising guide & map from Canal Junction The 'Cheshire Ring' links to the Trent & Mersey Canal , Bridgewater Canal and Ashton & Peak Forest Canals . The Macclesfield Canal Starting at the summit level of the Trent & Mersey, the Macclesfield Canal climbs even higher and becomes one of the highest levels on the system (518 feet) to overlook the Cheshire Plain and cling to the skirts of the Pennines. Cruising the canal is full of interest, from the unusual 'flyover' junction with the Trent and Mersey at Hardings Wood, passing the Victorian folly of Mow Cop and timber framed Little Moreton Hall, climbing the beautiful locks at Bosley and negotiating the interesting junction with the Peak Forest Canal at Marple.

Accompanied by waymarked walks, the ‘Mow Cop Trail’ and ‘Middlewood Way’, the canal towpath presents many opportunities for short and long distance walking, staying down near water or climbing high up into the nearby hills with their monuments and follies. The many connections allow walkers and cyclists the choice of either going round in circles or in a long straight line! Congleton and Macclesfield are both worth a visit, with interesting pubs, Pennine stone architecture and expensive shops which are evidence that this is a desirable place to live, close enough to Manchester to commute, but surrounded by striking scenery. This late built canal speeded travel from Manchester to the Potteries, Midlands and the south in two fundamental ways. First, less distance than going via Runcorn and not subject to delays by the operation of the tunnels at Preston Brook and, second, it was built after much experience of boatmen’s techniques. For example, where a lock is set close to its neighbour it can be prepared whilst the first lock is being used. This minimizes delay whilst waiting for locks to fill.

Telford, therefore, collected all Macclesfield’s locks into one flight and maintained a long level on each side of them by bold “cut and fill” techniques, which gave us eight aqueducts, high embankments and cuttings. Post war efforts by the Chairman and members of the North Cheshire Cruising Club (founded 1943) and the Inland Waterways Association Second National Rally (1953) drew attention to the lack of maintenance and deterioration of this canal. After a campaigning cruise met apparent sabotage the Peak Forest Canal Society (1964) proposed a ‘Cheshire Ring’ of regenerated canals (including the ‘Macc’) which was finally opened after ten years’ effort in 1974.

The Cheshire Ring - Circular Canal Route in North West England, UK Manchester (Castlefield) to Lymm - 13 miles and no locks Lymm to Preston Brook Junction - 10 miles and no locks Preston Brook Junction to Anderton - 7 miles, 1 lock and 3 tunnels Anderton to Middlewich Junction - 10 miles and 4 locks Middlewich Junction to Kidsgrove (Hardings Wood Junction) - 13 miles and 31 locks Kidsgrove (Hardings Wood Junction) to Macclesfield - 16 miles and 13 locks Macclesfield to Marple Junction - 10 miles and no locks Marple Junction to Ashton (Portland Basin) - 8 miles, 16 locks and 2 tunnels Ashton (Portland Basin) to Manchester (Castlefield) - 8 miles and 27 locks (These figures are offered as a rough guide.

They are not a suggested daily itinerary.) Many people will have more time available and may want to add some of the following extensions to the ring, as their time permits: along the Upper Peak Forest Canal to Whaley Bridge and Bugsworth Basin (7 miles and 4 lift/swing bridges each way) up the Huddersfield Narrow Canal to Stalybridge (2.5 miles and 7 locks each way) up the Huddersfield Narrow Canal to Uppermill (8 miles and 21 locks each way) along the Bridgewater Canal to Barton Swing Aqueduct and Worsley (4.5 miles each way) along the Bridgewater Canal to Runcorn (mostly urban, 4.5 miles each way) down the Anderton Lift and onto the River Weaver (to Winsford Bridge, 7 miles and 2 locks each way, to Weston Point, 13 miles and 2 locks each way) through Harecastle Tunnel to Etruria, then along the Caldon Canal to Leek and Consall Forge or Froghall (up to 25 miles and 18 locks each way) The Cheshire Ring is also a popular walking route.

There is a towpath along the entire route, except through Hyde Bank Tunnel, near Romiley, Preston Brook Tunnel, near Runcorn, and Saltersford and Barnton Tunnels, near Anderton, where there are direct paths over the tops of the tunnels. Some boaters have been put off the Cheshire Ring by stories of trouble in the Manchester area, especially on the Ashton Canal. These stories are now very much out of date! In the 1980s there were times when boats needed to be escorted through the area! Be assured that this is no longer the case - the Ashton Canal is now no worse than other urban canals and has been greatly improved with the construction of the Commonwealth Games facilities alongside. Nevertheless, boaters should be prudent when passing through any urban areas, especially those with lock flights. This includes locking the front cabin doors and putting valuables such as cameras out of sight. Where possible plan your journey so that you pass through urban areas during school term times. Where holidays or weekends cannot be avoided, plan to pass through the areas early in the day. For instance, the Ashton Canal typically takes 3 to 4 hours so can easily be done in a morning.

However, even boaters passing through this area on weekend afternoons have experienced no trouble. "Incidents" can occur anywhere on the canal system - even in rural areas - so don't be afraid to venture into urban areas where the industrial archaeology can be very interesting. The contrasts along the route are part of what makes the Cheshire Ring so rewarding! canals in cheshire : definition of canals in cheshire and synonyms of canals in cheshire (English) Main article: Bridgewater Canal The Bridgewater Canal runs from Preston Brook , near Runcorn , to Leigh in Greater Manchester . The original section of the canal starts at Castlefield Basin in Manchester city centre where it joins the Rochdale Canal . The canal runs west from Manchester for about 4 miles (6 km), where it splits into two parts at "Waters Meeting" junction. It then passes Hulme Lock, an unused connection to the River Irwell and the Manchester Ship Canal , and a new lock at Pomona which accesses the Ship Canal.

From Waters Meeting, the original part of the canal passes over the Manchester Ship Canal on the Barton Swing Aqueduct at Salford and travels about 15 miles (24 km) to Leigh , where it makes an end-on connection with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal . The other part of the canal travels about 20 miles (32 km) south-west to Runcorn , passing through the towns of Sale and Lymm , and to the south of central Warrington . At Preston Brook , the canal connects with the Trent and Mersey Canal . Trent and Mersey Canal Main article: Trent and Mersey Canal The Trent and Mersey Canal links the River Trent at Derwent Mouth (in Derbyshire ) to the River Mersey . The second connection is made via the Bridgewater Canal , which it joins at Preston Brook in Cheshire . Although mileposts measure the distance to Preston Brook and Shardlow , Derwent Mouth is a mile or so beyond Shardlow.

Peak Forest Canal The Peak Forest Canal runs from a junction with the Ashton Canal at the southern end of the Tame Aqueduct at Dukinfield through Newton , Hyde , Woodley , Bredbury , Romiley , Marple , Strines , Disley , New Mills , Furness Vale , and Bridgemont . It terminates at Bugsworth Basin , and there is a short branch at Bridgemont to Whaley Bridge . This canal is just over 14.5 miles (23.3 km) long. At Marple , the canal crosses Marple Aqueduct and then rises through 16 locks and makes a junction at Top Lock with the Macclesfield Canal . Wardle Canal Main article: Wardle Canal The Wardle Canal is located in Middlewich , Cheshire , and connects the Trent and Mersey Canal to the Shropshire Union Canal (Middlewich branch) . It is the shortest canal in the UK, at approximately 100 feet (30.5 m) long, and terminates with a single lock (known as Wardle lock).

Macclesfield Canal The Macclesfield Canal runs 26 miles (42 km) from Marple Junction where it joins the Peak Forest Canal , southwards (through Bollington , Macclesfield , and Congleton ), to a junction with the Trent and Mersey Canal near Kidsgrove . Shropshire Union Canal The Shropshire Union Canal links Wolverhampton (and the Birmingham Canal Navigations ) with the River Mersey . History File:Bridgewater Canal Stockton Heath Warrington 01Aug04.JPG Bridgewater Canal at Stockton Heath The Bridgewater Canal is often considered to be the first true canal in Britain. However, the Sankey Canal also has good claim to that title. Although the Sankey Canal was originally contained within the old county of Lancashire , the transfer of Warrington and Widnes to Cheshire means that it now lies partly in the county. Preston Brook also lies in Cheshire, south of the River Mersey . Opening dates Where possible, opening dates for the entire length have been used. Otherwise the date indicates when the Act of Parliament was granted.

The Cheshire Ring <imagemap>Image:Cheshire Ring Schematic.png|thumb|right|300px|Schematic of the Cheshire Ring circle 501 199 67 Manchester circle 281 256 118 Bridgewater Canal circle 487 30 98 Rochdale Canal circle 672 79 90 Ashton Canal circle 311 660 156 Trent and Mersey Canal circle 861 650 178 Macclesfield Canal circle 733 303 110 Peak Forest Canal circle 930 390 90 Marple circle 612 911 139 Stoke on Trent rect 718 158 955 188 Ashton under Lyne rect 197 373 420 415 Preston Brook desc none Main article: Cheshire Ring The Cheshire Ring is a popular canal cruise which includes six of the canals in Cheshire.

Because it takes approximately a week to complete, it is suited to narrowboat holidays which start and return to the same location. The route has 92 locks and is 97 miles (156 km) long. It is popular because it offers a contrast between the city centre of Manchester, views of the Peak District , and the Cheshire Plain . [1] See also Cheshire ring | Canal & River Trust Cruising rings Cheshire ring Featuring the Bridgewater Canal, the first canal to be built in the modern waterways era, the Cheshire Ring was formulated after successful campaigns for the restoration of several key sections around the route and is one of the original cruising rings. Macclesfield Canal, copyright Eddie Starck Commencing at Preston Brook Tunnel it follows the Bridgewater to Castlefield and takes in the Rochdale, Ashton, Peak Forest and Macclesfield Canals before returning via the Trent & Mersey Canal. From Preston Brook the Bridgewater Canal carves through notably flat landscape and for several miles runs almost parallel to the Manchester Ship Canal.

Dunham Massey Hall has a 250-acre deer park and a working Elizabethan Mill; Castlefield Basin is a series of wharves for goods brought here by canal with the railways of a later era striding overhead. Transformed A short section of Rochdale Canal lifts the route through the ‘Rochdale 9’ locks and completely refurbished surroundings that would be unrecognisable to boaters of only a generation ago, passing by Manchester’s vibrant nightlife and Chinese quarters and under the former Rodwell Tower, now renamed 111 Piccadilly. With the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester acting as a catalyst the transformation to the entire area has been dramatic; improved access and additional lighting are just some of the changes. At Ducie Street Junction the Ashton Canal passes the modernised Piccadilly Village with the prospect of a few hours energetic lockwheeling to follow before Portland Basin. This was built to allow narrowboats to make the tight turn out of the Peak Forest Canal and is known locally as Weaver’s Rest due to the large number of weavers who drowned here during hard times in their industry. The basin is home to a museum and a boat trust dedicated to saving historic wooden vessels.

Heartbreak Hill The Peak Forest Canal is lock-free until Marple where the locks are distinguished by little stone bridges in front of the bottom gates. At the top of the flight the Peak Forest continues to its terminus at the historic Buxworth Basin and Whaley Bridge; the fork to the right leads onto the Macclesfield Canal and increasingly rural scenery until the conurbations of Macclesfield and Congleton begin to encroach. At Hardings Wood Junction the Trent & Mersey Canal drops towards the Cheshire Plain through a heavily locked section, which is perhaps unsurprisingly known as ‘Heartbreak Hill’. Many of the locks were duplicated in an effort to speed up traffic. A few hours of gentle cruising through open countryside leads to Anderton and its spectacular Boat Lift . Preston Brook Tunnel is narrow and requires caution; to its north lies the Bridgewater Canal. Waterways in this ring Macclesfield Canal, home Macclesfield Canal One or more pages on this site were last updated on: 7 August, 2016 The Macclesfield Canal web pages! Canal & River Trust and many community groups organise volunteer work parties on the Macc!

Their dedicated work has earned the canal the very first Green Flag to be awarded to a canal! See Macclesfield Canal Society meetings page for details! The web site is in two parts - this part describes the canal and the features and facilities along its route. The other part tells you about the canal society and its activities. The link list in the left column is different for each part. It is possible to simply skip between the parts by clicking on the appropriate link at the top of the link list. A site map lists all the page subjects. The Macclesfield Canal was one of the last narrow canals to be built, indeed, it was very nearly built as a railway! A variety of ideas were proposed and the present canal was approved by Act of Parliament in April 1826. The route of the canal was surveyed by Thomas Telford and construction was engineered by William Crosley. The completed canal was opened on 9th November 1831 at a cost of £320,000.

We publish here various pages of historical information and research including Graham Cousin's paper on 'The Building of the Macclesfield Canal', reproductions of reports made during the construction and some of the contents of the diary kept by Edward Hall, for more than 18 years Agent to the Macclesfield Canal Company. See these on the history pages . As with many canals, the Macclesfield passed into the hands of the railways for about 100 years. The canal was bought out by the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincoln Railway in 1847. It was managed with the Ashton and Peak Forest canals, which were owned by the same company, and known collectively as the APM Canals. At railway grouping in 1923 the APM found themselves with the LNER. The canals and the railways were nationalised in 1947and the Macclesfield went to a new body, the Docks & Inland Waterways Board. Commercial carrying finished only in the 1960's shortly before British Waterways was formed. The canal is now part of the network owned and managed by the charity, the Canal & River Trust (CRT) .

Although in need of maintenance, the canal remained navigable throughout and did not require restoration when leisure use began. Indeed, the UK's very first narrow canal cruising club, the North Cheshire Cruising Club (NCCC) , was established on the canal in 1943! The state of the canal in those days may be deduced from the name of the NCCC newsletter - Ditchcrawler! It was the heroic joint action of the NCCC and the IWA that ensured that the Macclesfield Canal was not abandoned. The route The route takes the canal from Marple Junction with the Peak Forest Canal in the north 26¼ miles to the stop lock at Hall Green near Kidsgrove passing along the side of the most westerly Pennine hills through High Lane, Higher Poynton, Bollington, Macclesfield and Congleton, all in Cheshire, and Kidsgrove in Staffordshire in the south. Nowadays we normally regard the last 1½ miles to Harding's Wood Junction with the Trent & Mersey Canal as a part of the Macclesfield Canal although it was built as a branch of the T&MC.

The Macclesfield Canal provides the most elevated and, some would say, most beautiful part of the Cheshire Ring. It certainly offers many stunning views over the Cheshire plain. The canal is maintained at two levels divided by 12 substantial stone locks in 1¼ miles at Bosley as well as the (originally double) stop lock at Hall Green. The top level is, at 518 feet above sea level, one of the highest navigable levels in the country. The locks drop the level by 118 feet. Bosley locks are characterised by the unique use on a narrow canal of double gates top and bottom. The stop lock has the further oddity of having double gates at the top and a single gate at the bottom! The canal is noted for its fine stone bridges - particularly the six change or snake bridges where the towpath changes sides of the canal. These bridges were designed to allow the horse to move over without having to untie it from the boat. There are most impressive stone aqueducts at Bollington and across the River Dane as well as many high level embankments and deep cuttings.

At Bollington the River Dean is diverted through a tunnel to avoid piercing the canal embankment - a most unusual feature well worth mooring up to view. The canal was built to serve the mills, mines and quarries of the Marple, Poynton, Bollington , Macclesfield and Congleton areas as well as to provide a link from Manchester to the Potteries and Midlands in competition with the Trent & Mersey, Bridgewater route. The traveler will certainly notice the mills (originally for cotton at Bollington and silk at Macclesfield) and the more observant will notice the remains of the hundreds of coal mines in the Poynton and Bollington areas as well as stone quarries on Kerridge Hill, the Cloud and Mow Cop (Mow is pronounced as in cow). The picture is of bridge 92 at Scholar Green. Most structures on the canal are Listed by the local authorities and the entire length is subject to Conservation Area status. From Marple to Macclesfield the Middlewood Way is never far from the canal. This follows the course of the Macclesfield, Bollington & Marple Railway that has been converted into recreational space for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

For a fuller description of the route please look at canalside interests . Modern times During the mid 1980's The Macclesfield Canal Society restored the milestones along the whole course of the canal. We normally regard them as unique - we know of no other canal that has stone mile markers of these size and quality. There are a couple of similar stones on the Cromford canal. The Macclesfield's very stout stones had mostly been buried during the second world war as a precaution against enemy soldiers using them to find their way! All but three stones were dug up and re-erected. The three could not be found so they were replaced with new stones cut from Kerridge Hill. Many of the quarter mile stones were also lifted. This project lead to the society's quarterly magazine being called Milestone. Having gained confidence, the next project involved the full restoration of Wood's bridge 30 between Kerridge and Hurdsfield. This stone arch farmer's accommodation bridge had been much abused over the years, losing most of its top stonework and also retaining its war time defensive tank trap. This has been removed. Pictured above. Next, Gaw End bridge 47 was restored.

This is an iron and timber swing bridge just north of Fools Nook and is the only working example of an original Macclesfield Canal swing or swivel bridge. There were originally about a dozen of these. The swing bridge at Fools Nook (br.49) is of modern design and construction and is power operated. During June 1998 BW removed bridge 47 to Northwich Yard to refurbish the turntable. The bridge was re-instated in October 1998. A new foot bridge, no. 48A , was also installed adjacent to the lengthman's cottage between br.47 and Fools Nook. A multitude of lighter works have also been carried out over the years including the installation of mooring rings and the painting of original ironwork at the Dane aqueduct, Adelphi Mill in Bollington and Hagg Farm lattice foot bridge, br.16. Extensive works have been carried out in recent years to clear the foliage away from the railings along the towpath in front of Ramsdell Hall, Scholar Green. A project is underway to re-furbish these beautiful railings and replace the damaged and missing parts.

Water supply Two reservoirs, Sutton and Bosley, supply the summit pound with water. Both have extensive feeder systems stretching back into the hills above the canal. These have been in serious disrepair. However, The Macclesfield Canal Society have worked with BW to bring them back into production. This work has done much to alleviate the water shortages that were a notable aspect of the canal in dry years. Find more on reservoirs and feeders . Cruising information Max: Length 70ft; Beam 7ft; Headroom 7ft; Draught c.3ft 6in. Note that the water level in the top length from Marple to Bosley (and including the top length of the Peak Forest Canal) may be as much as six inches lower than normal during the summer months! This leads to difficulty in mooring away from wharves. The Macclesfield Canal was built as a 'state of the art' waterway. This meant that Thomas Telford, who laid out the route and designed the canal, employed all of the lessons he had learnt on earlier canals.

As a result the Macclesfield 'suffers' from the fact that it was designed very specifically for commercial carrying - how was Telford to know that leisure would soon become its principal purpose? The Macc has a very shallow and tapered bottom. The deep channel is just wide enough for two boats to pass in the centre, indeed, deeper draughted boats would question my use of the word deep! The Macc, especially the bottom pound from Bosley to Hall Green, had been in need of dredging for many decades. Much of this length was dredged during winter 1999/2000. The tapers from the deep channel to the bank ensure that the depth at the sides is insufficient to moor at many places along the canal. The canal was designed for boats to moor at the wharves and nowhere else. Although modern steel narrow boats are shallower draughted than a loaded working boat they still find it difficult to moor close in along much of the length. Fibreglass cruisers don't usually experience these difficulties.

In modern times mooring has been made possible at many places by judicious dredging and competition for these places tends to become keen at lunch and tea times during the main cruising season! One of the best places is on the embankment above Gurnett aqueduct at Sutton, just south of Macclesfield near br.43. Here BW, some years ago, completely rebuilt the channel in concrete to overcome leakage. The new channel is considerably deeper than the rest of the canal with excellent moorings perfectly located for a visit to the Olde King's Head at the bottom of the steps or Sutton Hall Pub & Restaurant at bridge 44! The maps show the most popular mooring places which tend to be close to the attractions - pubs, shopping and, err, pubs. The North Cheshire Cruising Club (NCCC) is located at High Lane Wharf. The Mary Sunley Canal Boat charity keep their boat at Adlington and the New Horizons charity boat is moored at Marple. Both provide trips for the less advantaged. Further information Further information on a wide variety of canals and inland waterways can be found at George's premier waterways web site .

Additional information can be found on many individual canals in Jim Shead's Waterway Information pages and specifically on the Macclesfield Canal . Historic pictures of the APM canals (Ashton, Peak Forest and Macclesfield) can be found on David Kitching's pages . Canal & River Trust information on the canal can be found on CRT's web site . Ashton Under Lyne & Peak Forest Canal holiday guide & map. Ashton Under Lyne Canal - Opened: 1796 Engineer: Brown Dukinfield Junction with the Peak Forest Canal to Ducie Junction with the Rochdale Canal. Peak Forest Canal - Opened: 1800-1964, 1974 Engineers: Brown (surveyor), Outram (engineer) Dukinfield Junction to Bugsworth Interchange 14½ miles, 16 narrow locks at Marple 3½ mile branch to Whaley Bridge Interchange. The 'Cheshire Ring' links to the Trent & Mersey Canal , Bridgewater Canal and Macclesfield Canal . The Navigation pub at Bugsworth Basin is well worth a visit. Interesting interior, dogs welcome, good food and beer!

- P.D, Cardiff The Portland Basin Museum at the junction with the H N C has lots to interest all the family & easy mooring. - D.N, York The Dog & Partridge, High Lane has friendly atmosphere, old world charm, good food. Well worth a visit for lunch. - D.S. Waterways of Cheshire Waterways of Cheshire Navigable Rivers and Canals within Cheshire Beeston Stone Lock on the Shropshire Union Canal Main Line Ashton, Peak Forest and Macclesfield Canals Waterway's place in Cheshire : A collection of canals in Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Derbyshire. Waterway Description: These three canals have been, for many years, considered as one navigation. In the Great Central Railway days it was known as the "A.P.M.". They are now part of the Cheshire Ring. History: See Individual canals for more details. In 1961 the last passage was made through the Ashton and Lower Peak Forrest Canals prior to their restoration in 1974. For more details see the Waterway details page .

Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal A canal that runs from the West Midlands through Shopshire and Cheshire Waterway Description: A 39.5 mile and 26 lock canal linking the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal at Autherley to the Ellesmere & Chester Canal at Nantwich. Now part of the Shropshire Union Main Line. History: For more details see the Waterway details page . Bridgewater Canal Waterway's place in Cheshire : From the River Bollin Aqueduct, where it enters Cheshire from Greater Manchester, to its end at Waterloo Bridge in Runcorn the Bridgewater Canal runs over 17 miles through Cheshire. Waterway Description: Runs from the junction with the Rochdale Canal in Manchester to Runcorn. The Stretford and Leigh Branch runs ten and three-quarter miles to the junction with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. History: Authorised under Acts of 1737, 1759, 1760, 1762, 1766 and 1795.

The "first canal of the canal age" was promoted by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, and built under the direction of John Gilbert. James Bindley worked under Gilbert's direction For more details see the Waterway details page . Chester Canal A canal entirely within Cheshire. Waterway Description: A 19.5 mile, 17 lock, broad canal from the River Dee to Nantwich. Now part of the Shropshire Union Main Line. History: For more details see the Waterway details page . Commercial Canal project A proposed barge canal from Cheshire to Staffordshire. Waterway Description: A proposed barge canal from The Chester Canal at Nantwich to the Trent & Mersey Canal at Burton on Trent. History: For more details see the Waterway details page . Ellesmere & Chester Canal A canal that runs through Shropshire and Cheshire. Waterway Description: Formed by the merging of the Ellesmere Canal Company and the Chester Canal Company. History: For more details see the Waterway details page . Ellesmere Canal The sections that were built are now in Denbighshire, Wrexham, Shropshire and Cheshire.

Waterway Description: A canal that was never wholly completed the two major sections now being part of the Shropshire Union Canal. History: Authorised by an Act of 1793, the Chester to Ellesmere Port section completed in 1795, and the navigable feeder from Trevor to the Dee at Llantisilo completed what is now the Llangollen Canal in 1808. For more details see the Waterway details page . Hall Green Branch - Trent and Mersey Canal Waterway's place in Cheshire : The branch is entirely within Cheshire. Waterway Description: For more details see the Waterway details page . Macclesfield Canal Waterway's place in Cheshire : From a point between the Aqueduct over railway and Bullock's Girder Bridge No 13, where it crosses out of Greater Manchester to Hall Green Stop Lock No 13, where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal Hall Green Branch, the canal is in Cheshire for over 23 miles. Waterway Description: Runs from Marple Junction with the Peak Forrest Canal to Hall Green, on the Trent and Mersey Canal. History: Promoted by an Act of 1826.

Opened in 1831. Points of Interest: For more details see the Waterway details page . Manchester & Dee Ship Canal project Waterway's place in Cheshire : A proposal for a ship canal from Greater Manchester into Cheshire. Waterway Description: A proposal for a ship canal from the Dee estuary to Manchester. History: Surveyed in 1823 and 1824, a Bill was introduced and rejected in 1825. Variations to the plans were made in 1825, 1826, 1828 and 1837 but the canal was never authorised or built. For more details see the Waterway details page . Manchester Ship Canal Waterway's place in Cheshire : From the entrance from the River Mersey at Eastham Locks to the Rixton Junction the canal runs 24 miles within Cheshire before crossing into Greater Manchester. Waterway Description: Runs from Eastham Locks (some 6 miles up the Mersey from Liverpool) to Woden Street Bridge, Manchester. History: Promoted by the Manchester Ship Canal Act of 1885.

Construction started in November 1887 and the canal was opened on 1 January 1894. For more details see the Waterway details page . Mersey & Irwell Navigation A waterway that ran from Cheshire to Greater Manchester. Waterway Description: Was a 20.25 mile, 8 locks, river navigation from Bank Quay, Warrington, to Quay Street, Manchester. History: Authorised by an Act of June 1721, work started in 1724, opened in 1736. By 1894 most of the navigation had been replaced by the Manchester Ship Canal. For more details see the Waterway details page . Peak Forest Canal Waterway's place in Cheshire : From just past Turflea Lift Bridge No 22 at Strines Aqueduct, where the canal crosses from Greater Manchester, to just before Thornsett Road bridge No 28, where it crosses into Derbyshire, the canal is in Cheshire for about 2 miles. Waterway Description: Runs from the junction with the Ashton Canal at Dukinfield to Buxworth Basin.

History: Promoted under Acts of 1794, 1800 and 1805. Opened with a connecting tramroad at Marple in 1800. Marple Locks were opened in 1804. Points of Interest: For more details see the Waterway details page . Preston Brook Branch (Bridgewater Canal) Waterway's place in Cheshire : This short branch connecting the Trent & Mersey Canal to the main line of the Bridgeewater Canal is wholly within Cheshire. Waterway Description: A short branch of the Bridgewater Canal that links the main line with the Trent & Mersey Canal at the start of Preston Brook Tunnel. History: For more details see the Waterway details page . River Dee Waterway's place in Cheshire : From the upper limit of navigation at Almere Ferry to a point between the Dee Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal and Saltney Bridge, where the river crosses into Flintshire, the river runs through Cheshire for 14½ miles. Waterway Description: Runs from Almere Ferry to Point of Air, 33 miles in total. Tidal below Chester weir. History: For more details see the Waterway details page .

River Mersey The river forms the boundary between Lanchasire and Cheshire. Waterway Description: This tidal navigation runs 43 miles from Bank Quay, Warrington, to the Mersey Bar Light Vessel. History: Act of Parliament of 1805 enabled the collection of tolls. Points of Interest: For more details see the Waterway details page . River Weaver The entire navigation is in Cheshire. Waterway Description: This river runs 20 miles from Winsford Bridge to Weston Point Docks, where it joins the Manchester Ship Canal History: Promoted by Acts of 1721, 1760, 1807, 1825 and 1829. Work started in 1730, opened in the beginning of 1732, having 11 wooden locks. For more details see the Waterway details page . River Weaver - Old Navigation Line Waterway's place in Cheshire : The entire navigation is in Cheshire. Waterway Description: Runs 2.25 miles from the head of Frodsham Cut to Weston Marsh, where it joins the Manchester Ship Canal For more details see the Waterway details page .

Shropshire Union - Llangollen Canal Waterway's place in Cheshire : From the start of the canal at Hurleston Junction, where it connects with the Shropshire Union main line, to just after Povey's Lock No 13, where it crosses into Shropshire, the canal is in Cheshire. Waterway Description: Runs 46 miles from Llantysilio Bridge, near Llangollen, to Hurleston Junction, where it joins the Shropshire Union main line History: For more details see the Waterway details page . Shropshire Union - Middlewich Branch The whole navigation is within Cheshire. Waterway Description: Runs 10 miles from Barbridge Junction, where it joins the Shropshire Union Main Line, to Wardle Lock, Middlewich, where it joins the Trent & Mersey Canal History: Promoted By Act of 1827. The last 20 yards of the canal, including Wardle Lock, was once part of the Trent & Mersey, known as the Wardle Lock Branch, or Wardle Canal. For more details see the Waterway details page .

Shropshire Union Canal Waterway's place in Cheshire : The colective name for a large network of waterways mainly in Shropshire and Cheshire but also reaching many other counties. See the individual waterways for more details. Waterway Description: This canal includes the main Line, the Llangollen (or Welsh) Canal, the Middlewich Branch and the Montgomery Canal. History: For more details see the Waterway details page . Shropshire Union Dee Branch The whole branch is within Cheshire. Waterway Description: This branch runs one furlong from the Shropshire Union Main Line to the River Dee History: Authorised by the Chester Canal Act of 1 April 1772. Points of Interest: For more details see the Waterway details page . Shropshire Union Main Line Waterway's place in Cheshire : From just before Audlem Top Lock No 13. where the canal crosses into Cheshire from Shropshire, to the end of the canak at Ellesmere Port Docks and the junction with Manchester Ship Canal, the canal is in Cheshire.

Waterway Description: Runs 66.5 miles from Autherley Junction, where it joins the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, to Ellesmere Port where it joins the Manchester Ship Canal. History: Promoted by Acts of 1772, 1793 and 1826. The original canal companies were formed into The Shropshire Union in 1846. For more details see the Waterway details page . Sir John Glynne's Canal A local canal of about a mile from Bretton to Saltney, just outside Chester. History: For more details see the Waterway details page . Trent and Mersey Canal Waterway's place in Cheshire : At a point near Red Bull Lock No 42 and the Poole Aqueduct,the canal enters Cheshire from Staffordshire and runs 29 miles through Cheshire to Preston Brook where it meets the Bridgewater Canal. Waterway Description: Runs 93 miles from Derwent Mouth, where it joins the River Trent, to Preston Brook, where it joins a branch of the Bridgewater Canal History: Originally known as the Grand Trunk Canal.

Promoted by Acts of 1766, 1770, 1775, 1776, 1783, 1797 (two Acts), 1802, 1809 and 1827

Question: Peak Forest, Macclesfield and Bridgewater are some of the canals that make up what network?
Answer: THE CHESHIRE RING